Expired Domain Names

What Happens When a GoDaddy Domain Expires?

GoDaddy is the world's largest domain registrar, managing over 80 million domains. When a GoDaddy domain expires, it follows a structured timeline that includes a grace period, an expired domain auction on GoDaddy Auctions, a closeout phase with declining prices, and eventually a domain drop if no one purchases it. The entire process takes approximately 72 days from expiration to deletion.

GoDaddy Expired Domain Timeline at a Glance

Days After Expiration Phase What Happens
Day 0–18 Grace Period Domain is parked. Owner can renew at standard price.
Day 19–25 Account Hold Domain is held. Owner can still renew but may incur a fee.
Day 26–35 Expired Domain Auction Listed on GoDaddy Auctions for 10 days. Owner can renew if no active bid.
Day 36–41 Closeout Auction Buy-now pricing that drops daily from $11 to $5.
Day 42–72 Redemption / Pending Delete Domain is in registry redemption. High fees to recover.
Day 72+ Domain Drop Domain is deleted and becomes available for public registration.

GoDaddy Domain Grace Period

After a GoDaddy domain expires, the registrant has approximately 18 days to renew the domain at the standard renewal price. During this time, the domain is parked on a GoDaddy landing page, and the website and email associated with the domain stop working. Auto-renewal attempts are made if a valid payment method is on file.

Between days 19 and 25, the domain enters an account hold period where the registrant can still renew, but a redemption fee may apply depending on the domain extension.

GoDaddy Expired Domain Auction

Starting on day 26, GoDaddy lists the expired domain on GoDaddy Auctions as an "Expired Domain" listing. The auction runs for 10 days (days 26–35). During this time:

Not all domains are listed on GoDaddy Auctions. Some domains are excluded based on GoDaddy's internal criteria.

GoDaddy Closeout Auction Pricing

If the expired domain auction ends with no bids, the domain moves to GoDaddy's Closeout phase on day 36. The closeout is a buy-now format where the price decreases each day:

Closeout Day Price Days from Expiration
Day 1 $11 Day 36
Day 2 $10 Day 37
Day 3 $9 Day 38
Day 4 $8 down to $6 Day 39
Day 5 $5 Day 40–41

Closeout domains are first-come, first-served. Immediate payment is required — if you don't pay right away, someone else may buy it.

GoDaddy Domain Redemption Period

If the domain is not purchased during the auction or closeout phases, it enters the registry's redemption period (approximately days 42–72). During this time, the original registrant can still recover the domain, but the redemption fee is significantly higher — typically $80 or more, depending on the TLD.

When Does a GoDaddy Domain Drop?

If no one purchases or redeems the domain, it is deleted from the registry around day 72. After a 5-day pending delete period at the registry level, the domain becomes available for public registration on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registrars That Send Expired Domains to GoDaddy Auctions

GoDaddy Auctions is not just for GoDaddy-registered domains. Many other registrars send their expired domain inventory to GoDaddy Auctions, making it the largest expired domain auction platform:

Official GoDaddy Documentation

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